SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Southern Conference named its football players of the week today for the games played Saturday, September 17. Elon's Aaron Mellette was named Offensive Player of the Week while Chattanooga's Wes Dothard earned Defensive Player of the Week honors for the second consecutive week. UTC's Marquis Green was selected as the Freshman of the Week, and Appalachian State's Sam Martin was tabbed as the Special Teams Player of the Week. The players of the week are selected by the league office.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Aaron Mellette, Elon, Jr., WR, Sanford, N.C.
Mellette set a career high with 237 receiving yards and added a touchdown as Elon posted a come-from behind win over North Carolina Central, 23-22 Saturday night. Mellette caught 16 passes in the win and now leads all of FCS with 12.0 receptions per game. His 237 receiving yards were just 48-yards shy of Elon's single-game record. The junior wideout added one rush for six yards and returned a kickoff 25 yards in the win.
Other Nominees: DeAndre Presley (Appalachian State) and B.J. Coleman (Chattanooga).
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Wes Dothard, Chattanooga, So., LB, Carrollton, Ga.
Dothard earned the Player of the Week award in back-to-back weeks after helping the Mocs earn a 23-14 win at Eastern Kentucky. The sophomore linebacker posted a career-best 10 tackles in the victory, including three tackles for loss and a sack. Dothard anchored the UTC defense which held EKU to just 2-of-16 on third downs and shut out its opponent in the second half for the second consecutive week.
Other Nominees: James Robinson (Appalachian State) and Blake Thompson (Elon).
FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: Marquis Green, Chattanooga, Fr., RB, Palmetto, Fla.
Green came off the bench and finished with a game-high 68 yards rushing in place of Chris Awuah who left the game with an injury. The Palmetto, Fla., native's first career touchdown in the third quarter gave the Mocs a 17-14 lead they would not relinquish. Green also caught two passes for 11 yards in the win.
Other Nominees: James Robinson (Appalachian State) and Akeem Langham (Elon).
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sam Martin, Appalachian State, Jr., P/PK, Fayetteville, Ga.
Martin made an impact as both a punter and placekicker Saturday as the Mountaineers downed Savannah State, 41-6. The junior punted five times and averaged 47.0 yards per kick. He had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line, including two inside the five. Martin booted a long of 55 yards for the Mountaineers and now leads the nation with 47.4 yards per punt. The Fayetteville, Ga., native also connected on two field goal attempts from 41 and 51 yards out and was a perfect 5-for-5 in PATs. His 51-yard kick is tied for the seventh-longest FG in school history.
Other Nominees: Lawson Furr (Elon) and Mike Hammons (Chattanooga)